This invention relates to equipment for playing a yard golf-type game.
The inventor's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,671, discloses a yard golf game apparatus that provided a golf "hole" for a yard golf-type game that did not require a hole to be dug in the yard. This apparatus had many advantages, including providing a hole with a smooth approach so that a ball could be easily hit into the hole. The present invention relates to improvements to this type of game apparatus. These improvements reduce the incidence of balls bouncing out of the hole when they are properly struck into the hole. These improvements also relate to varying the degree of difficulty of the game, to provide an increased challenge, or to allow a competitive game among players of differing ages and abilities.
Generally, the game apparatus of the present invention comprises a generally circular cup having a sloped sidewall and a bottom. A generally frustoconical flange surrounds the cup, sloping downwardly and outwardly from the rim of the cup. A flag pole extends vertically upwardly, generally from the center of the cup. The flag pole and the sidewall of the cup define an annular ball-receiving space between them. The flag pole has a frustoconical base, which together with the sloped sidewall of the cup form converging walls in the annular ball-receiving space, so that a ball entering the ball-receiving space is pinched or trapped between the sidewalls and is less likely to bounce out of the hole.
According to one embodiment of the game apparatus, one or more inserts are provided that can be fit into the cup against the sidewall to constrict the size of the opening, thereby increasing the difficulty of the game. Replacement frustoconical bases of steeper inclinations are preferably also provided for each insert to maintain a sufficient sized opening to receive the ball, and to maintain a proper converging wall configuration for trapping the ball in the ball-receiving space.
Thus, the game apparatus of the present invention provides an annular ball-receiving space with converging walls that trap a ball hit into the space, reducing the incidence of the ball bouncing out of the cup. The game apparatus can be quickly and easily converted into a more difficult mode by installing one or more inserts into the cup, and replacing the flag base, in order to make the game more challenging, or to accommodate players of different levels of skill. These and other features and advantages will be in part apparent, and in part pointed out hereinafter.